Tryst

Arlington being a "dry" town doesn't have any bars, per se, but if you want a drink you can get one with a meal - or just an appetizer- so one heads to Tryst. At lest that is what most Arlingtonians that I know say to do . . . I'm new in town & I have been a few times with friends who wanted a drink.

The drinks are fine. The appetizers are good. the service is not what it should be. There is a difference between an unobtrusive server and one that ignores her/his customers.

I recently went f or a meal with friends. Do not s it in the back area. It is a dead zone. Uncomfortable booths. Unattractive decor. Stick in the front & sit at one of the small tables or at the bar. The back dining room looks like an after thought. And we sort of felt we ere too while having our meal there.

Pros: You can get a drink in Arlington

Cons: you have to order it from one of their "haters"

Posted 07/13/09

The worst customer service, rude and insulting,
the food was mediocre, and mistakes on the bill.

I do not recommend this restaurant.

Posted 02/22/09

The previous review was written by an irrational guest who had refused to pay for her coffee. After drinking two cups she said that she didn't drink coffee and that it should have been free.

Posted 02/22/09

More wines by the glass than anywhere else in town. The steak tartare is better than any I have had downtown, the service is great; comfortable and attentive without being intrusive. Make reservations can be busy any night of the week. I have been to several functions held there and had a great time, its a great place to have a party. I like the cocktail list too.

Pros: Wine list & service

Cons: may need a reservation

Posted 11/13/08

Hostess suggested undesireable seating but thats probably her job. Anyway my request for change was honored and I had an amazing meal (again). All things considered, as enjoyable as many downtown dining experiences and easy parking to boot. Perfect for a mid-week treat, very popular on the weekends, small (but intimate) bar. Try it you'll like it.

Posted 10/29/08

Headed to Tryst for a couple drinks at the bar with the plan to move to a table afterwards for dinner. However, we loved the feel of sitting at this bar so much that we dined a la bar :) My fiance and I had a few glasses of wine and ordered 4 appetizers for a more tapas appeal. The shrimp appetizer was not much to write home about (somewhat bland) but the mussles were VERY good! Our flatbread and mediterranean salad were fantastic as well. If you are looking for a place to sit and enjoy a cocktail or two, this place is great!

Posted 03/20/08

We waited 25 minutes before finally caving in from starvation to ask our waiter for bread, then another 20 minutes before I was served my first course. The food was nothing spectacular- it's not worth it if you can get much better service and better tasting entrees in the City. The dessert (butterscotch banana tart) was good though, but not enough to bring my bf or I back.

Pros: Dessert

Cons: Poor service, too pricey for what you get

Posted 02/19/07

Excellent Food! My husband & I are regulars. We travel from near the Cape for this food! If you want a romantic evening out Tryst is an excellent spot! We love the food so much we brought our entire wedding party in for a dinner & had rave reviews! I highly recommend Tryst!

Pros: Ambience, Food, Value

Cons: Parking

Posted 01/23/07

My wife and I found the Sunday brunch experience delightful. There was a jazz quartet which played Woody Allen type (Honeysuckle Rose) music. The dishes are creative. I had a nice salad greens appetizer and a tortilla+eggs over black beans entree and my wife had French toast with berries. We cannot comment on the beverages as we tend to be teetotalers before dinner. But we found the whole brunch experience romantic and delightful.

Pros: the ambience was wonderful

Cons: they didn't have sugar-free syrup for my diabetic wife's French toast

Posted 09/30/06

Twenty four hours after eating here my family and I still cannot stop talking about how dreadful our dining experience was. The portions were tiny, leaving us all hungry (including my 5 year old who had a full order of gnocci). Two of us ordered the halibut. When we pointed out to the waitress that it was raw in the center, she grimaced, went to the kitchen and then returned to say, well, that is how the cook likes to make it. The salmon was very undercooked as well, though not raw. When we did get our halibut back, it was cooked, but flovorless. We were also astounded by the price of our son's gnocci, $19, we estimate it was $1 per gnocci. The bread was notihng special, iggies sourdough. We also ordered a side of "smashed potatoes" which were so oversalted that my 9 year old daughter refused to eat it, which is saying a lot considering that her order of halibut came with nothing but a tiny piece of fish, two clams and 6 flavorless mushrooms. When we entered the resturant at 6:00 on a friday night we were all a bit surprised that the dining room was compleately empty but when we left an hour and a half latter it seemed fitting that there were only four additional diners. Though Tryst my gear itself to couples seeking a romantic latter dinner, clearly the dining situation does not bode well for its survival.

Pros: the merlot was good and fairly priced

Cons: the food, the portions, the prices

Posted 06/30/06

I had been looking forward to trying this place but will not be rushing back. I ordered what was supposed to be "spicy" tuna tartare The tuna was edible but the dish had NO flavor let alone spice. I then ordered the paella. Also no flavor--would not reccommend. Desserts were pretty good-we decided to get a drink at the bar after instead of ordering one with dessert-it was about 9:50 on a Wed. There were two other people at the bar drinking, and the bartender told us they were closed for the night!

Pros: parking

Cons: ambience in dining room

Posted 06/14/06

We ate at Tryst when it first opened. We went tonight to celebrate our son's 25th birthday. We waited 55 minutes for our food. This was a Tuesday night and the restaurant was not full. The manager told us that the reason our service seemed slow was that we had not ordered an appertizer. She didn't even offer to take anything off the bill. Needless to saw, we have put Tryst in the wind.

Pros: ambiance, cleanliness

Cons: service, value

Posted 04/17/06

We decided to try it out for the jazz brunch on Easter Sunday. The place was crowded, but the wait was short. When the restaurant is filled, the noise level is high. They offer traditional brunch options with a modern and gourmet twist. I had the delicious crab cakes benedict which was high on crab, and low on breadcrumb filler - just the way I like it! The banana french toast was enormous and very good! Cocktails are pricey but also very good. A nice way to splurge on a lazy Sunday afternoon. About $50 plus tax for 2 cocktails and 2 entrees.

Pros: delicious food, modern twist on food, easy parking

Cons: noisy when crowded

Posted 04/16/06

We stumbled onto this place one evening and had a great time. We had a drink at the bar while we waited for our table, and the bar seems like a great place to unwind after work, and has a bit of a loungey feel to it with its tables and lighting. The dining room is maybe not as cozy as other restaurants, but the food and attentive service make up for it. Definitely worth a trip.

Posted 03/25/06

A wonderful dining experience. Great bar, the apps were outstanding, I would clearly rate this as a great value. I might suggest the trout or sea bass.

Pros: apps, bar, sea bass

Posted 11/29/04

Went both for lunch and dinner. The lunch was better on all counts. The room is cold looking and not particularly comfortable. The food was OK at night, but not worth it. The lunch was much better for some reason. Scutra or Flora are both better choices nearby. Staff not particularly attentive, kind of indifferent. Where's the manager? I Know this place is new, but my opinions are based on 2 visits more than 2 months after the place opened.

Pros: nearby, food good, lunch served

Cons: , value, slow

Posted 10/15/04

Went there for lunch. The Rueben and Steak Tenderloin Sandwiches were great. There was a good liquor selection, especially for Arlington. But they are only open until 11pm on weekdays and midnight on weekends. The bar is very nice. They have those spicy mixed snacks.

They do still look like they are recoverying from the recent construction. But overall it's very nice. Staff was friendly.

Pros: Good Food, Licquor Selection

Posted 09/17/04